Pakistani court rejects appeal by FETÖ members to remain in country Pakistan's highest court rejects appeal in FETÖ case
The High Court of Islamabad has denied the request for an appeal in the case of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members who have been ordered to leave Pakistan by Nov. 20.
The request for appeal came after FETÖ members who had worked for Gülenist "PakTurk" schools in Pakistan were denied visas to remain in the country. The High Court of Islamabad indicated that the interior ministry is responsible for granting visas to foreigners, citing jurisdiction laws as the reason for the verdict.
During the hearing, an official for the interior ministry told the court that the FETÖ members had failed to submit a visa extension application after their visas expired on Sept. 9.
The decision comes after Pakistan recently asked 108 teachers from 23 FETÖ-linked PakTurk schools across the country to leave Pakistan along with their families, which include roughly 400 people. Gülenists have an influential network in Pakistan comprised of PakTurk schools, colleges, groups and large businesses operating under FETÖ ideology.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday that Pakistan has done well to eliminate the FETÖ threat and urged other countries to do the same. The president emphasized the grave threat FETÖ poses to the religion of Islam and that FETÖ's presence in the 170 countries where it currently operates should be eliminated immediately. Addressing Pakistani lawmakers in the Pakistan senate, President Erdoğan advised countries with FETÖ-operate establishments to take a unified stand against the group.